Mark Update November 27, 2008

A quick hello from Ecuador. It has been a very good trip to this point. We have found a place to live that we know is directly from our heavenly Father. It is on the river Napo in a small village which has the same name. We are still working on all the things we'll need to secure a longer term visa. I will have to take care of that when I return, as they will not allow it to be done from here. Paul and I will return next week,Thur. Dec. the 4TH. Tomarrow, Fri., I will go into the interior of the jungle to visit the village of Tonapade. Please pray in earnest that God´s will be done in every way. This village and it`s desire to bring God's Word to their relatives in the jungle is the primary reason God has called me to come here. Thank you for your faithful prayers.  Because Jesus Lives and Reigns, Mark

Joyce Update September 5, 2011

Dear friends and family,
It is hard to think of the changing seasons in the U.S.  It is always
summer here, with a rainy season that lasts a few months.  This year
was more rainy than usual, but there was no flooding.  It seems to be
about over now.
A very tragic thing happened in Ecuador about a month ago.  Someone
that works in a brewery put a poison in some alcohol.  There were
several brands involved.  It is very toxic to people and the damage
was wide-spread.  The reports are that about 50 people died, and up to
500 have severe liver damage and blindness.  The substance eats away
at the optic nerves.  So many lives were changed in such a short time.
Last week I had the privilege to help translate for a medical team
that was here from the U.S. I had the job of asking the patients what
their medical concerns were and translating for the Americans to write
down.  I was happy for 2 reasons.  1-I now know enough Spanish to be
able to translate.  This was good for me to learn, because I honestly
didn't think I would be able to.  There were only about 4 people that
I needed to get someone to help me understand what they were saying.
2- I was able to spend time helping the Ecuadorian people and also the
Americans.  The ladies I worked with were so nice to me.  The week was
a blessing.
One man came in with his wife.  As they came to our table, I realized
that this man was not able to see.  He sat down and I asked him why he
was here today.  He told me that he drank some of this tainted
alcohol, and he became blind in a very short period of time.  It
really broke my heart to meet him.  It is one thing to hear this news
from other sources, it is another to meet a victim and talk to them
face to face.  Not only were his eyes blank, his face was also.  He
just talked like he was reciting facts.  He was so stoic.  I was able
to tell him that our only hope is in Jesus Christ, and His name has
power.  I also wished him God's blessing on his life.  What else can
you say?  They seemed encouraged by the words.  I had to take a minute
before I could talk to anyone else.  I was deeply affected by this.  I
was not able to sleep that night, and had to finally pray and give
this man and my feelings to God.  Whether someone is a vessel of honor
or dishonor to God, God is holy and Justified in allowing anything to
happen to His creation.
I want to be faithful in touching the lives that God puts in my path.
We all need to do this wherever God leads us.  A man whose parents
were missionaries when he was younger put it this way...But as my
father used to say, there are many people who yearn to serve the Lord
in a country where they don't know the language, in a culture they
don't understand, eating food they don't like, in a difficult climate,
and all the while they are surrounded by the lost, and they don't
bother reaching out to their neighbor, who speaks their language, who
would gladly accept an offer to come over for a meal, whose culture
they understand implicitly, and in a climate in which they were
raised.  Let us all be faithful to the work of the Lord.  Love and
blessings, Joyce

Joyce Blosser April 28, 2011

Dear friends and family, It has been a very long time since I have
written.  So much has happened the past few months.  God always proves
His faithfulness to us, I am very thankful.  A group of young people
from New York came for 2 weeks.  They helped us work on the property.
It was a great blessing to us, may God reward them for their labors!
We are working to get the dorm building ready for visitors from the
jungle.  We have had a few already.  We are almost done with the fish
pond, so we will be able to raise fish for eating.  Also, one Huaroni
man planted a yucca garden for us!
The day that the group from the U.S. left, a new missionary couple
came to stay with us for a few days.  They just arrived in Ecuador.
They are expecting their first baby, so they moved closer to Shell, to
be near the hospital.  The husband, Andy,  was here for a few months
last year.  I know they will serve the Lord greatly here, please pray
for them. There is also a missionary family living in Tena now,
working to put wells in the villages.  This is a great work here, to
provide clean water for the villages.
I am still teaching English.  I started a new class in Napo, at my
house.  It is fun to see the children learn.  I want to not only teach
them English, but also show them God's love.  Sometimes it is hard for
me to have all the patience that I need!   Mark has been making trips
to the jungle.  He wants to go more frequently this year.  Please pray
that things will go smoothly for us.
I think most of you know that 3 of my boys will be returning to the
U.S. in May.  Mark Alan, Paul and John.  Mark Alan is engaged to a
beautiful girl from Peru.  He will be getting married next April.
They want to serve the Lord in missions work.  I know it will be hard
for me to see 3 of them leave at once, but  it is a part of life.
The Lord has given me a burden for the young mothers of our church.
So often they are alone and they have questions about raising their
children in the ways of the Lord.  I want to visit them more and
encourage them.  There are also a lot of people around me that need to
know of a Savior.  So many people here have such hard lives.  Every
story I hear seems worse than the last.  I want to touch people's
lives.  Sometimes I let the language barrier prevent me from reaching
out, and sometimes it is my natural shyness.  I want to overcome these
by God's grace. On the here tonight, we ran into a couple whose 18
year old daughter died last year.  She was in the hospital and Mark
and Nancy, the owner of the property where we live, were able to visit
her.  She accepted the Lord one night.  They were also able to
minister to her parents.
This afternoon was extrememly hot so we decided to go to the river to
swim.. I have not done this, left my work in the afternoon to swim,
since we have been here.  It was such a nice afternoon.  There were 3
young native children there that Mark and I were playing with.  They
were beautiful.  A group of about 30 people form a tour came to swim.
As we were watching, a young man got caught in the undertow, and
started drowning.  They were able to save him from a canoe.  Almost at
the same time, another one drowned, too, but they could not get to
him.  We just watched as he was swept away, they didn't even find his
body.  It was very sobering to watch someone go out into eternity.
Was he ready?  Did he have the hope of going to Heaven? One minute he
was laughing and having fun with his friends, the next, he was in
eternity.  We don't know when God will call us home. we need to be
ready.  It was sad to see the group on the shore, too as they realized
they had just lost one of their friends.
God bless you all. Love, Joyce